"It looked like Placerville was on fire," said Kim Snyder, a resident of Camino, who drove into Placerville on Friday.

Marilyn Hill, of Diamond Springs, said she was finding it hard to breathe because of the dirty air.

Hill was wearing a mask when KCRA 3 found her in Placerville.

“It helps some, but it doesn’t help a lot. I wouldn’t even go out without it,” Hill said.

Air quality readings on Friday revealed what many in El Dorado County already knew -- they were breathing unhealthy air.

“We’re seeing with both the portable and the fixed monitors that we have in the county, particulate matter readings of up to 400 micrograms per cubic meter, which is about 10 times the national standard,” said Dave Johnston, an air pollution control officer with the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District.

“I just can’t breathe, it’s so much effort,” said Barbara Walker, who was cutting short her vacation to Lake Tahoe. “The medicine that I have on a daily basis just isn’t doing the trick so we have to go home early.”

Les Sprague was also changing his plans to go camping for the weekend.

“Well there’s an awful lot of smoke. And up where we were going to camp they called and said if you’ve got respiratory problems you probably shouldn’t go up there," Sprague said. "So, we’re thinking it’s not a good idea. We’ll put it off until next weekend.”

Air quality officials are recommending that El Dorado County residents avoid strenuous exercise and outdoor activities while the smoky conditions persist.

The 24th annual Lake in the Sky Airshow in South Lake Tahoe scheduled for Saturday has been canceled because of air quality conditions caused by two fires burning just outside the Tahoe Basin.

THE STATE AS WELL, ALL COMING OFF THE HUGE RIM OF FIRE. SMOKY SKIES ARE CREATING HEALTH CONCERNS FOR PEOPLE IN MANY PARTS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. MIKE LUERY IS LIVE IN CAMINO WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THE SMOKE AS WELL. THIS IS A GOOD VANTAGE POINT TO SHOW SOME OF THE POLLUTION IN THE SKIES OVER EL DORADO COUNTY. SOME OF THE SMOKY, HAZY CONDITIONS OF THE FOOTHILLS FAR AWAY. IT MAY NOT LOOK BAD, BUT LOOKS CAN BE VERY DECEIVING BECAUSE AIR-QUALITY OFFICIALS SAY THE POLLUTION LEVEL IS NEARLY 10 TIMES WHAT IS CONSIDERED SAFE. MARILYN WAS HAVING TROUBLE READING AND PLACERVILLE. SHE TRIED TO WEAR A MASK TO FILTER OUT THE DIRTY AIR. IT HELPS SOME. IT DOES NOT HELP A LOT. I WOULD NOT EVEN GO OUT WITHOUT IT. THICK SMOKE FROM THE RIMFIRE IS PRODUCING UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY IN PLACERVILLE, MORE THAN 100 MILES AWAY. IT LOOKS LIKE PLACERVILLE WAS ON FIRE, THE SMOKE WAS SO BAD. AIR-QUALITY READINGS REVEALED WHAT MANY IN EL DORADO COUNTY ALREADY KNEW -- THEY WERE BREATHING POLLUTED AIR. IT WAS FILLED WITH SOAP FROM THE FIRE. WE'RE ARE SEEING IT IN THE FIXED MONITORS AND THE PORTABLE MONITORS PARTICULATE MATTER READINGS OF UP TO 400 MICROGRAMS PER CUBIC METER, WHICH IS ABOUT 10 TIMES THE NATIONAL STANDARD. THE POLLUTION IS CREATING HARDSHIPS FOR ASTHMA PATIENTS. I CANNOT BREATHE. IT IS SO MUCH EFFORT. SHE IS CUTTING SHORT HER VACATION TO LAKE TAHOE BECAUSE OF THE SMOKE. THE MEDICINE I HAVE IS NOT DOING THE TRICK. THE SMOKY AIR CAN CAUSE EYES TO STAYING. THEY RECOMMEND PEOPLE WITH RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS STAY INDOORS, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY. INSTEAD OF RUNNING, I'M DOING A LITTLE LIMITED WALKING. DESPITE THE WARNING, MARYLAND WAS DETERMINED TO MAKE THE LUNCH DATE WITH HER DAUGHTER. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS TO BREATHE. I SHOULD NOT EVEN BE OUT BUT I CANNOT PASS UP A CHANCE FOR A FREE LUNCH. LIVE PICTURES OF THE SKIES OVER EL DORADO COUNTY. SHE GOT HER FREE LUNCH, BUT MANY FOLKS IN EL DORADO COUNTY ARE CHANGING THERE'D DAILY PLANS AND WEAKEN PLANTS TO A COMEDY THE

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